Celebrate Art and Design in Tijuana at the World Design Festival This Week

This five-day festival, presented by World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024 (WDC 2024) and organized in partnership with Enigma Creative, will feature more than 100 events in 40 different venues, including conferences, workshops, exhibitions, showrooms, tours, and more.

The central theme will be the “Expanded Present,” intertwining past, present, and future. “This is a week of free activities, thanks to the support of the design community and our partners, who are local and global brands,” said Laura E. Araujo, Chief International Affairs Officer of World Design Capital 2024.

“The activities will be held in galleries, museums, shops, showrooms, studios, restaurants, pop-ups, offices, and cultural centers,”

“This is a unique opportunity that we have in Tijuana so that the design of the future can be appreciated from here and that we leave a legacy to create a better planet.”

The World Design Festival is one of seven signature events presented throughout the year by WDC 2024, the first cross-border designation in World Design Capital history.

The region’s winning bid reflects the collective efforts of founding partners UC San Diego Design Lab, Design Forward Alliance, Burnham Center for Community Advancement, City of San Diego, and City of Tijuana, and numerous community supporters.

World Design Festival Highlights

Exhibitions

Two-Fold Encounters by Temporary Office on display May 4 to 5 at CECUT, a 3-D topographical puzzle inspired by the landscapes and geographic diversity that unite San Diego and Tijuana
Light Up! by Alita Escobedo, on display May 4 to 5 at CECUT, will transform the Vestíbulo de El Cubo with light, dance, and music
Archaeology in Transit by the Tec of Monterrey, on display May 5 at CECUT, tells stories of migrants who face the challenges of border crossing
How is technology designed in Latin America? On display May 5 at CECUT, this features projections of the participants of Planetary Frontlines to raise awareness and understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Tijuana Covers on display May 4 to 5 at CECUT celebrates six decades of musical production in Tijuana as featured in the book by Fritz Torres and Gerardo Molina following five years of research and over 50 interviews

Experiences

Storytelling Design Tour on May 3 from 1 PM to 5 PM, exploring design studios in Tijuana and the contrast between old and modern Tijuana, reflecting on the future of the city
Culinary Art School + Brecha Tour on May 3 from 12 PM to 2 PM
Community Celebration on May 3 at 7 PM at the newly-opened Taco Museum
World Design Party on May 4 at 7 PM featuring music by Tijuana artist Ceci Bastida for an unforgettable evening of music and design
You can also enjoy a walking tour throughout the day on Thursday, May 2, to explore Baja’s art scene, including stops in Brik 10, Xochicalco University

Workshops

Drag Person on May 3 from 7 PM to 11 PM at Enclave, a collaborative workshop seeking to make drag more visible in Tijuana as a means of social design with a focus on gender and community connection
Character Design on May 4 from 10 AM to 12 PM at the Observatory, taught by Ismael Alejandro Moreno Ozuna
Several dance workshops for adults and children

Showrooms

Miles & Louie, a Tijuana fashion brand, debuting a new household collection during a special event on May 1 from 4 PM to 7 PM
Monstera, handmade accessories, launching a limited-edition piece during the week
Lustre, a creative space for ceramic lovers
Object, a curated collection of fashion and home accessories by Mexican designers

Presentations

Krzysztof Wodiczko, renowned for his large-scale slide and video projections of politically charged images on architectural façades and monuments worldwide
Alejandro Magallanes, children’s book author and graduate of the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas, specializing in the creative fusion of letters and images
Lila Avilés, prominent Mexican director, screenwriter, and producer
Jorge Gracia, award-winning architect and founder of graciastudio
Christopher Hawthorne, architecture critic, educator, filmmaker, and Senior Critic at Yale Architecture